President to President

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President to President, March 15, 2011

Vol. 12, No. 11

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​SPECIAL EDITION: Introducing the New GED Testing Service

I am writing you today because we face a looming crisis in this country: More than 39 million adult Americans lack a high school credential, and every year, that number grows. Each of us is impacted by the problem, and our collective response is a moral imperative.

In discussions about how we can best serve our nation and higher education, ACE has long recognized that the GED® Testing Service, which it has administered for nearly 70 years, serves a critical role. Nearly 800,000 GED Tests are taken each year, and in 2009, more than 470,000 individuals were awarded their high school credential.

Today, ACE announced that it has created a new GED Testing Service, a corporate entity formed jointly by ACE and Pearson, the world's largest education and testing company. This unique for-profit/nonprofit joint venture will drive the future direction, design, and delivery of the GED testing program. It will also provide the greatest opportunity to date to affect the lives of many more adult learners who need to take the GED Test.

The new entity, which will retain the GED Testing Service name, will harness the leading technology, resources, and expertise of Pearson and the long history of ACE and the current GED Testing Service in serving adult and continuing education. Working together, the new GED Testing Service will expand access to the GED testing program, adapt the GED Test to meet 21st century needs, and provide a driver to transform the nation's adult education systems. ACE will continue to play a critical role in the future of the GED testing program, serving on the board of the new venture and working to further the goals of the GED 21st Century Initiative, which include:

A new, more rigorous GED Test aligned with Common Core State Standards designed to ensure career- and college-readiness;

A national test preparation program featuring an expanding array of innovative and personalized learning resources; and,

A transition network that connects GED test-takers to career and postsecondary educational opportunities.

I am confident this new venture will help us tackle our nation's problems in a new and invigorated way. To learn more, I encourage you to read the press materials or visit the new GED Testing Service's website, www.GEDTestingService.com.